I have a question. How does one identify the African-Americans that tend to hang out at the City Center as gang members? Where they all wearing t-shirts that said "I joined the Crips and all I got was this stupid t-shirt?" Were they engaged in territorial rumbles? Knives and Chains? AK-47s and Gloc 9s?Maybe they were collecting Toys for Tots in their gang paraphanilia much like the Hells Angels do each Christmas?

Or was it because they were young black men that they were ID-ed as gang members. And was it the bulge in your clothing that they mistook for a concealed weapon that saved your life, which I'm sure was in a very precarious position, or perhaps they had absolutely no interest in you whatsoever and had no more nefarious plans than...gulp...hanging out in front of the City Center.

Perhaps for Christmas we could ask Santa Claus for a serious anti-racist movement in the Twin Cities.

-Brandon Lacy Campos
-Powderhorn Park





Chair
National Lavender Green Caucus
Green Party of the United States

Lavender Greens: www.lavendergreens.org
BrownTones: http://galileo.spaceports.com/~brandonl/
YouthAction: www.youthaction.net





From: "Victoria Heller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Minneapolis Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Mpls] Downtown Christmas shopping report
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 07:56:23 -0600

Even I couldn't face the crowds at Wal-Mart on Black Friday (Wall
Street's jargon for the day that most retailers go from red to black
on the bottom line.)

So I headed downtown Minneapolis for a crowd-free shopping expedition
and general economic sleuthing.

Fortunately, the gang members who frequent City Center's first floor
mistook one of my bulges for a concealed weapon (see
www.thunderwear.com) -- so they left me alone.

There were lots of clerks standing around Saks and Neiman-Marcus, but
not much buying going on.  Franklin-Covey on the skyway level has
posted a sign that they will be closing on January 24th.

Opening night for Hollidazzle drew some early birds setting up seats
in the skyway over Nicollet, but the streets were pretty deserted, at
5:15 anyway.

The highlight of the trip was while having nibbles and cocktails with
two of my sisters and one niece in the Mark VII lounge on the street
level of the IDS:  We bumped into Council Member Scott Benson.  I must
disclose that I really like C. M. Benson.  We just exchanged
pleasantries and introductions - Scott always cheers me up because he
is so smart and good-natured, though I was pretty cheerful to begin
with because Hal, the bartender, pours with a generous hand!

All in all, it was a fine shopping trip.  We bought some Christmas
presents and left with smiles on our faces and good memories.

Vicky Heller
North Oaks

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